Anxiety treatment: Updated options

Generalized anxiety disorder and other anxiety spectrum disorders constitute the category of the most common mental disorders. Three lines of pharmacological therapy are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders: 1) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI); 2) benzodiazepines; 3) antipsychotics. Along with SSRI and SNRI, other groups of antidepressants are used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and other drugs with anxiolytic properties, such as pregabalin, are being considered as alternatives to benzodiazepines. Drugs in each of the three categories are characterized by both advantages and disadvantages that limit their clinical use, which determines the need to find new treatments for anxiety disorders. One of the most modern and promising treatments for generalized anxiety disorder is Aviandr, which was designated AVN-101 and CD-008-0045 at the stages of development and initial testing. The efficacy and safety of Aviandr in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder has been proven by the results of randomized controlled trials; in addition, the effectiveness of the drug in improving the condition of patients who have suffered from acute coronavirus infection has been noted. In addition to its anxiolytic effect, Aviandr shows the ability to reduce depressive symptoms and exhibits a number of other additional effects. A notable feature of Aviandr, which gives it advantages over traditional treatments for generalized anxiety disorder with comparable effectiveness, is the absence of daytime sleepiness, which often occurs when benzodiazepines are prescribed, and the side effects that are typical for SSRI.